Below we give each United player a grade, ranking and group them together based on their season(s) so far.

If a Red Devil is listed in this ranking it is because they’ve played in more than five games in all competitions.

A-GRADE

Marcus Rashford: My goodness, has he delivered on his promise?! Six times a MOTM, the 22-year-old has 14 goals and four assists and he’s yet to get the chance to feast off Bruno Fernandes playmaking.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Has become a consistent force over two full seasons since a sterling 2017-18 cameo for Crystal Palace. The fullback has averaged 3.8 tackles per game and 2.2 interceptions for his career.

Bruno Fernandes: He’s just met the minimum five matches and it’s a terribly small sample size, but the Portuguese has delivered all the goods. Crosses, long balls, and short-smart combination play. Beautiful.

Scott McTominay: What would United’s season look like had this rusty nail of a midfielder not missed a 3W-1D-3L stretch which included 2-0 losses to Arsenal, Liverpool, and Burnley? The club also drew Sheffield United and Aston Villa, allowing five total goals in a week without McTominay in late Fall.

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

B-GRADE

Harry Maguire: Just on the verge of an A, although VAR certainly doubly helped him in the win over Chelsea. The absurd price tag shouldn’t play into his grade, but maybe we’re docking him a bit.

Paul Pogba: The doubts over whether his injury absence is longer than the ailments demanded are a symptom of the sick when it comes to the coverage of Pogba, but the World Cup winner was quite decent over seven matches.

Anthony Martial: Despite Pogba and Rashford missing significant time with injuries and Bruno Fernandes not purchased until January, the 11-goal striker hasn’t gone more than four matches without a goal. He’ll make it work.

FredNemanja Matic

C-GRADE

David De Gea: Is it difficult to believe that it has been almost two full seasons since the Spaniard completed a season that saw him perform as perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world? De Gea has been quite average this season.

Daniel James: Not bad for a first Premier League season, but the 22-year-old hit a lull around the festive fixtures and didn’t pull out of it until the past couple of matches. Fun fact: All three of his goals came in the first four PL matches, while his six assists came in an 11-match window between Oct. 20 and Dec. 29.

Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams: Don’t mistake the fact that the teenagers are extremely gifted and seemingly no-doubters with performances indicative of their ages (18 and 19). C is fine. The sky is the limit, and Williams has tempted the B range over his most recent appearances.

Andrea Pereira: We don’t get it. We just don’t. He’s tied with James for the most big chances created on United, but is one-dimensional. Yes players who take the most risks make the most glaring errors, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is giving the 24-year-old all kinds of patience. Will it pay off?

Jesse Lingard: It’s been nearly two years since he completed an 8-goal, 5-assist PL season that teased the future. The ensuing pair of campaigns haven’t gone well.

Mateo Kovacic — 8 — He was everywhere. According to Sofascore, Kovacic had over 100 touches, 87 percent passing, two key passes, four of five dribbles and 8-of-14 in duels to go with an interception, three clearances, and three tackles.

Jorginho — 8 — Exceptional. Nailed eight of his nine long balls and passed at 94 percent. A maestro.

N’Golo Kante — N/A — Only a dozen minutes before his injury-riddled season met February head-on.

Willian — 7 — Couldn’t get Chelsea on the board, so we shouldn’t praise him too much, but the Brazilian doesn’t get enough love for his willingness and adeptness in tackling.

Harry Maguire — 8 — How do you rate a man who should’ve been sent off but was otherwise a beast and scored a terrific insurance goal? I guess we’re saying you rate him as if he wasn’t sent off, which he wasn’t.

United moves into seventh place with 38 points, three behind fourth-place Chelsea. It’s Manchester Unired’s first league double over Chelsea since 1987/88.

Three highlights

1. Bailly, Wan-Bissaka pass tests: Chelsea targeted the right side of United’s defense and, after an early mistake from returning center back Eric Bailly, the defenders on that side stood tall. Wan-Bissaka chipped in with an assist on Martial opener.

2. Maguire dodges VAR red card for a mindless move: There’s no debating that a prone Harry Maguire left his right foot extended and made a sneaky move to make sure he connected squarely with Michy Batshuayi‘s groin on the touchline. It wasn’t spotted by the ref, though the Chelsea bench sans Frank Lampard reacted angrily. VAR saw nothing, somehow, and perhaps was unwilling to award a yellow and not a red? Weird stuff (viewvideo of the incident here).

3. VAR then overturns Zouma equalizer: Chelsea appeared to equalize through a Kurt Zouma header, but VAR spotted a foul on Brandon Williams that led to the goal. The problem? Manchester United’s Fred shoved Cesar Azpilicueta into the United youngster. It’s somehow more controversial given the fine margins in the race for Champions League places.

Man of the Match: It’s gotta be Wan-Bissaka for his two-way game, though Maguire was the No. 1 man of note in the contest.

Reece James belted a shot wide of the far post in the sixth minute, and Willian missed by more three minutes later.

Bruno Fernandes and Fred worked a 12th-minute exchange that led to an unproductive corner kick.

Mason Mount came on for an injured N’Golo Kante after a dozen minutes.

There was a bizarre lack of address when a prone Harry Maguire stuck his boot into Michy Batshuayi’s groin.

The first half was filled with near-misses. Willian couldn’t cue up Michy Batshuayi around the 20-minute mark. That one was the Belgian’s fault, but he was quite poor when Mason Mount set him up centrally in the 26th.

United’s Anthony Martial drove into the box and spun a shot wide 10 minutes later, but found his goal before halftime with a classy header of Wan-Bissaka’s tremendous cross.

Chelsea appeared to make it 1-1 in the 55th minute through a Kurt Zouma header, but it was ruled out by VAR. Cesar Azpilicueta knocked over Brandon Williams, but the Chelsea defender had been shoved into the defender by Fred. Stunning.

Bruno Fernandes smashed the post in the 64th minute, and United would find its second soon afterwards when Maguire got the better of Rudiger to head home.

Giroud gave Chelsea a shout with a 77th minute header, but his front foot was offside before he headed home a Mason Mount cross.

United fails to take advantage of Chelsea’s draw with Arsenal, and sits six points back of the Top Four.

Burnley climbs seven points clear of the drop zone, level with five teams on 30 points.

Three things we learned

1. Wood shines up top: It was a 10th goal to go with his first assist of the season for the New Zealand international, who used a half-yard of space from Harry Maguire to put Burnley in front. Burnley’s philosophy is to find their forwards at all cost, and when Wood is delivering that ethos looks genius.

2. United’s absent wings cost it dear (and jeer): Juan Mata and Anthony Martial were lively, but both Daniel James and Andreas Pereira did little to inspire hope of a goal for the home side. The Red Devils were the focus of crowd derision on the day, as they again wasted a chance to improve their Top Four credentials. Most teams will suffer without their top two attackers, but this is Manchester United. Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford missing or not, Wednesday was iugly stuff.

3. Jay Rodriguez’s new nickname is “Bangers Only”: Joking aside, it’s difficult to remember Rodriguez goals that don’t get you out of your seat. His insurance goal absolutely buried United, and gives him seven across all competitions. It also gives Sean Dyche plenty of competition in training, with Ashley Barnes on the periphery.

Man of the Match: Wood

United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka cut a promising 15th minute cross through the 18, but no teammate could get a foot to it.

Fred continued his lively play when he hit a low drive to Nick Pope in the 23rd, good endeavor without the required sharpness.

Daniel James forced Pope into a leaping save in the 32nd, and Martial couldn’t get his feet right when Nemanja Matic rolled him to the doorstep in the 34th.

Burnley took the lead out of absolute nothing, Wood taking advantage of Harry Maguire when Ben Mee flicked a long free kick to the Kiwi.